{"id":646897,"date":"2026-10-31T12:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T12:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/646897\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T12:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T12:56:18","slug":"please-dont-take-your-iphone-18-swimming-what-ip68-ipx8-waterproof-ratings-really-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/646897\/","title":{"rendered":"Please Don’t Take Your iPhone 18 Swimming. What IP68, IPX8 Waterproof Ratings Really Mean"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AAndrew Lanxon\/CNET<\/p>\n

Water resistance matters. Just ask anyone who\u2019s ever spilled a drink over their shiny new iPhone or Android phone. Mercifully, most of the best phones you can buy in 2026<\/a> \u2014 including the iPhone 18 Pro<\/a>, Galaxy S26 Ultra<\/a> or Pixel 11 Pro<\/a> are resistant enough to water to allow them to survive being dropped in a toilet or used in the pouring rain. That liquid protection may well mean the difference between drying your device with a tissue and dropping big money on a flashy new handset<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not all phones can withstand being fully submerged in water, though, and some still shouldn\u2019t be near any liquids at all. And even if your phone claims that it can be dunked into water, you really shouldn\u2019t take phones into a swimming pool and ocean swimming is completely out of the question, unless you\u2019re using a water-tight case of some kind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve shopped for a phone recently, you\u2019ll have come across terms like \u201cwater resistant,\u201d as well as the now common IP67, IP68 and IPX8 ratings. But what do those ratings really mean and, crucially, how waterproof is your expensive new phone?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down the jargon and find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What do IP67, IP68 and IPX8 mean?<\/p>\n

Ingress protection ratings (also known as international protection ratings) are a standard set forth by the International Electrotechnical Commission<\/a>. According to the organization, the codes are designed as a \u201csystem for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first number in the rating code represents the amount of protection provided against the entry of foreign solid objects, such as sand or dust. These protection levels range from 0 to 6.<\/p>\n

The second number represents the degree of protection against the entry of moisture or liquid, with protection levels ranging from 0 to 8.<\/p>\n

\"Nothing's<\/p>\n

Nothing\u2019s earbuds are IPX4 rated, which is enough to keep them safe from sweat during your workouts.<\/p>\n

Andrew Lanxon\/CNET<\/p>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll see an IP rating with a number replaced with an X, such as IPX8. In this instance, a company hasn\u2019t provided testing details so the rating number is replaced with an X. An IPX8-rated device can survive being submerged in water then, but it hasn\u2019t officially been rated for any protection from dust or other particles.<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro<\/a> has an IP68 rating, meaning it\u2019s protected from dust getting inside and can withstand being submerged in water. The Galaxy S26 Ultra<\/a> is also IP68 rated. So they\u2019re equally water-resistant, right? Well, no. That\u2019s where it gets confusing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For an 8 on the IP rating, the IEC demands a device can withstand being submerged in at least 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. Beyond that, it\u2019s up to the manufacturer. The S26 Ultra can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, while Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro is safe in up to 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. So while any phone with an IP68 rating will have had to hit that 1 meter-30 minute minimum threshold, it\u2019s important to check the fine print and see exactly what your phone offers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For further details on all the IP ratings, you can see charts at the end of this article outlining the protection levels set by the IEC.<\/p>\n

\"iPhone<\/p>\n

The iPhone 12 Pro Max can be submerged in water up to 6 meters deep for up to 30 minutes at a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Andrew Hoyle\/CNET<\/p>\n

Can I go swimming with my iPhone?<\/p>\n

While the iPhone 18 Pro\u2019s advertised 6 meters of water-resistance might make it seem like you can slip one into your swim shorts and hit the pool, you\u2019d be well advised to leave it out of the water. The IP rating is tested in controlled, laboratory conditions \u2014 in water with no movement. Moving your phone in the water will add more water pressure, making it more likely that water could find its way inside and do irreparable damage to your phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The IP tests are also done using fresh water; most pools will have additional chemicals such as chlorine, which could make a difference to your phone\u2019s resistance. And you should absolutely keep your phone out of the sea: Salt water could cause a lot of trouble, including degrading the metal parts in your charging port and essentially ruining your phone. The numbers are also based on new phones as it\u2019s possible that the internal resistance \u2014 especially around ports and buttons \u2014 can degrade over time, reducing your phone\u2019s ability to keep water out.<\/p>\n

Even if your phone has the top IP68 resistance rating, it\u2019s good practice to treat the feature as a safety measure in case of emergencies. Your phone is not designed to go snorkeling, so don\u2019t try using the camera to snag pictures of starfish or whatever. Nor should you try to record TikTok<\/a> videos of yourself jumping off the high dive into the deep end. It\u2019s there for accidents like spilling a drink or emergencies like making a call in the pouring rain. Water damage isn\u2019t covered by most warranties, either, no matter what IP rating your phone has.<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

The OnePlus Nord 2 does not have any stated resistance to water \u2014 keep phones like this extra safe when you\u2019re around liquids.<\/p>\n

Andrew Hoyle\/CNET<\/p>\n

If you really want to film yourself in the pool, or capture clips of your snorkelling in the sea on your next holiday you should look towards dedicated action cameras like the DJI Mission 1 Pro<\/a> which are designed specifically to be submerged in water while in use.<\/p>\n

My phone doesn\u2019t have an IP rating. Can it get wet?\u00a0<\/p>\n

For a company to advertise that its product has an IP rating at all, it needs to have undergone strict tests to ensure it meets the requirements. These tests can be time-consuming and costly, so it\u2019s understandable that some companies simply don\u2019t want to spend the cash, particularly with budget-focused models.<\/p>\n

Some phones instead use terms like \u201cwater-repellent\u201d or \u201cwater-resistant\u201d without an official IP rating. These handsets may make use of methods like rubberized seals or water-repellent nano coating to keep moisture at bay. While these phones may well survive an accidental dunking, it\u2019s worth keeping them safe from being fully submerged in water. But you shouldn\u2019t need to worry too much about taking calls in the rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Water-testing<\/p>\n

If your phone makes no mention of water resistance, then it\u2019s best to assume that it has none and you should take as much care as you can around liquids.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Solid protection<\/p>\n

IP CodeProtectionObject size0No protectionN\/A1Protection from contact with any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand. but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part, such as a fingerLess than 50mm2Protection from fingers or similar objectsLess than 12.5mm3Protection from tools, thick wires or similar objectsLess than 2.5mm4Protection from most wires, screws or similar objectsLess than 1mm5Partial protection from contact with harmful dustN\/A6Protection from contact with harmful dustN\/A<\/p>\n

Moisture protection<\/p>\n

IP codeProtectionTest durationUsage0No protectionN\/AN\/A1Protection against vertically dripping water10 minsLight rain2Protection against vertically dripping water when device is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees10 minsLight rain3Protection against direct sprays of water when device is tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees5 minsRain and spraying4Protection from sprays and splashing of water in all directions5 minsRain, spraying and splashing5Protection from low-pressure water projected from a nozzle with a 6.3mm diameter opening in any direction3 mins from a distance of 3 metersRain, splashing and direct contact with most kitchen and bathroom faucets6Protection from water projected in powerful jets from a nozzle with a 12.5mm diameter opening in any direction3 mins from a distance of 3 metersRain, splashing, direct contact with kitchen and bathroom faucets, outdoor use in rough sea conditions7Protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) for up to 30 mins30 minsRain, splashing and accidental submersion8Protected from immersion in water with a depth of more than 1 meter (manufacturer must specify exact depth)At least 30 minsRain, splashing and accidental submersion<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Andrew\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndrew Lanxon\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEditor at Large; Lead Photographer, Europe\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen he’s not testing the latest phones or phone cameras, Andrew can normally be found with his own camera in hand or behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food — sometimes all at once.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSee full bio\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andrew Lanxon\/CNET Water resistance matters. Just ask anyone who\u2019s ever spilled a drink over their shiny new iPhone…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":646898,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[111,139,69,145],"class_list":["post-646897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/646898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}